Gluten Free Banana Pancakes with Caramelised Banana Sauce

Gluten free banana pancakes (American-style) made with protein-rich flours and buttermilk. Topped with a home-made caramelised banana sauce for delicious decadence. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, dessert and definitely not just for Pancake Day.

This post uses Affiliate links from which I may earn a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I also earn from qualifying purchases. Commission earned is at no extra cost to yourself.

DON’T LOSE THIS RECIPE! PIN IT FOR LATER…

Gluten Free Banana Pancakes… Make every day a pancake day

We love pancakes in our house and although we don’t eat them as often as we would like, they are definitely not reserved for Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday). In fact, any day should be an optional ‘pancake day’. Right?

After all, pancakes are as versatile as they are varied. They come sweet or savoury, wafer thin or fat, rolled, folded or piled high. They make a fantastic breakfast, brunch, after-school treat or dessert. And if you make them savoury, pancakes can be topped and filled for a nutritious lunch or tea.

If you are wondering why it’s been so long since you made any, worry not! The annual pancake fest is a great kick up the backside. And since it’s just round the corner, it’s most definitely time to get out the pan, whip up some batter and start flipping!

Why do we eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday?

Like so many food traditions, Shrove Tuesday and its
connection with pancakes is steeped in Christian history. It marks the last day
before the start of Lent… a time of Christian fasting, which lasts for the 40
days leading to Easter.

Shrove Tuesday was traditionally the day for clearing larders of excess and gorging on the contents in preparation for leaner weeks of abstinence ahead. All edible temptations had to be removed and Shrove Tuesday was traditionally the time for using up remaining eggs, butter and fat. These could easily be turned into pancakes and fritters and hence, the custom began.

Pancake Day in the 21st Century

From such humble religious beginnings, Pancake Day is now an annual feature on the foodie calendar rather than a larder-emptying feast. Of course there are still some who use it as the marker for giving up something for Lent (I had a colleague who every year, would give up eating cheese, chocolate and chips until Easter). However, with the perpetual dwindling of active Christians in the UK at least, Pancake Day seems to have become more of an excuse to remind ourselves just how good pancakes are.

Indeed, glancing through the world of ‘#instapancakes’ it also seems to be an excuse for creative expression of culinary diversity. You’ll find everything from impressively presented magnificent pancake towers, to carefully rolled spirals of flavour-filled loveliness. But I think the thing that strikes me most about the modern pancake, is the trend towards topping with often insanely calorific add-ons. Add the word ‘loaded’ to your pancake search and you’ll find some stacks with what looks like an entire year’s worth of treats dumped on the top. Indulgent… yes. ‘Instagrammable’… for sure! Healthy… probably not.

To be fair, you may be looking at the photos of these
drool-worthy gluten free banana pancakes and thinking exactly the same. But if
you take a closer look at the ingredients, you’ll find that they probably come into
the category ‘sweet pancakes with a healthier twist’. And they do pack a full
banana flavour punch.

These gluten free pancakes are made with a nutritious combination of protein-rich flours, egg, buttermilk, coconut oil and bananas, lightly sweetened with coconut sugar. They may be in the ‘dessert’ camp of pancake, but you can feel fairly virtuous that they remain a healthier option. They are incredibly satisfying too… We ate them for brunch and they kept hunger at bay for hours.

Okay… We also caramelised a bunch of bananas in brown sugar syrup to make Caramelised Banana Sauce and spooned them over the top… And yes, this action may have knocked me off the moral ‘healthy-eating’ pedestal. But it tasted fantastic and was more than worth the act of moral corruption that ensued… At least we stayed clear of the whipped cream.

Making the best gluten free pancakes at GFHQ

These gluten free banana pancakes are more the thick ‘American style’… Luscious, fluffy and made for tower-building, rather than rolling. But they are not the only American buttermilk pancake recipe here on Gluten Free Alchemist. You will also find a glorious recipe for Vanilla Buttermilk Pancakes topped with berries and Chocolate Sauce, which is a firm family favourite and often made for staying guests. And we’ve even got an earthy recipe for Beetroot Buttermilk Pancakes, which is particularly yummy with savoury toppings.

If you’ve never made buttermilk pancakes before, I would definitely recommend you try. The buttermilk adds a richness and lightness that makes eating them an absolute delight. Check out my top tips for cooking them at home.

If you prefer a thinner, rolled or folded pancake, we have
those too… I’ve developed a few gluten free pancake recipes over the last few
years!

One of my favourites is actually more of a savoury gluten free pancake, made with a base of oat flour. Healthy and delicious, Oat Pancakes make the perfect wrap for mushrooms, cheese, tuna or anything else you want to throw at them. Miss GF loves them with sweet toppings too. Even if you are not a gluten-avoider, they certainly make a wholesome alternative to traditional wheat-flour batter and are simple to make. And it’s really easy to make oat flour at home by grinding oats into a fine powder.

Or if you want to stay sweet… Why not try some fruity gluten free Cherry Pancakes instead? Or go mini with some gluten free Blinis?

Other Gluten Free Pancakes from around the web…

If you don’t fancy any of these pancakes (although I can thoroughly recommend all of them), there are plenty of others to whet your appetite. Here is a selection of some of my gluten free favourites from around the web.

WHAT DID I USE TO MAKE THESE PANCAKES? (AD)

Don’t forget… If you do try my gluten free Banana Pancakes, let me know! Leave a comment below or Take a photo and tag me on social media (Facebook; Instagram; Twitter). And if you like what you make, I’d love it if you could share with your friends and leave a recipe rating. Thank you x

Gluten Free Banana Pancakes with Caramelised Banana Sauce

Light gluten free banana pancakes made with protein-rich flours and buttermilk. Topped with a home-made caramelised banana sauce for delicious decadence. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, dessert and definitely not just for Pancake Day.

Caramelised Banana Sauce

To Decorate

Instructions

Banana Pancakes

Weigh and mix together the flours, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl, making sure all are fully combined. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat together the buttermilk, mashed banana, eggs, melted coconut oil and vanilla paste, until thoroughly combined, light and airy.

Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour the liquid into the bowl.

Stir the mixture briefly and then whisk until the ingredients are just evenly amalgamated. Be careful not to over-mix.

Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes whilst the bicarbonate of soda activates.

Prepare your frying pan by brushing (or sponging) with a little vegetable, sunflower or coconut oil and heat over a medium setting.

When the pan is hot, add a large spoonful of batter (I use a third-cup measure), and gently push out to form an American pancake shape about 5 mm thick.

Allow the underside to cook and when the bubbles that form on the top have popped, flip the pancake over and cook the other side.

Repeat this process until all the batter has been used. But place the pancakes as they cook in a pile on a heat-proof plate, wrapped in a clean tea towel and keep warm in a low oven until ready to eat.

Caramelised Banana Sauce

In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar and water together and heat over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar has melted and darkened slightly. Be careful not to over-cook, or the sugar will burn.

Add the sliced bananas to the pan and gently toss in the syrup, continuing to heat gently for a couple of minutes.

Remove from the heat.

Serve the pancakes with the sauce and a sprinkling of roasted chopped hazelnuts. For extra decadence, throw on some chocolate chips.

Notes

* Note: nutritional information is an estimate & may vary according to portion size/ingredient variants.

It is cheaper and easy to make GF oat flour at home. Simply grind your oats into a fine powder using a kitchen blender or grinder and store in an airtight container as detailed on the GFA flours and flour blending page.

This page may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and go on to buy the product recommended, I will get a very small commission. You will not however be charged any more than if you went direct to the site.

I will only ever recommend products that I actually have in my kitchen or would buy myself.

Please note that where a recipe contains alcohol, it is NOT suitable for children. Always drink and use alcohol responsibly. For more information, see the Drink Aware website.

your pancakes look delicious – I was very fond of a banana pancake recipe until Sylvia stopped loving it but perhaps I need to try this caramelised banana topping – it looks specially tempting with choc chips!

This looks great. I never knew until a day or two ago that pancakes are traditional for Shrove Tuesday (I end up with Mardi Gras Cajun cookery), but I will try this, not necessarily this coming Tuesday – but leaving off any trace of hazelnuts. Caramelized banana, however, sounds like a great idea.

I love pancakes, though because OH is fond of them (! I know) I don't have them as often as I'd like. Mum always used to make them for my brother and I when we were young on Shrove Tuesday and it was always so much fun watching mum flip them and then eating them! Lovely to hear your daughter is so proficient in the kitchen.Angela xOnly Crumbs Remain

Thanks Angela. I love those little childhood memories which pop up with festivals. I think most people probably have some great pancake memories from childhood. They are one of those dishes which are iconic and traditional!

Oh my! These look very good indeed, Kate. I love the caramelised banana topping. And your photos are gorgeous. 🙂 I'm impressed with Miss GF's skills in the kitchen. How old is she? I had a similar moment today with my daughter, who is 7…I was helping her wrap a present for a friend, I was doing most of it and she was sticking on the sellotape. I turned my back for a moment and when I turned around again I found her merrily getting on with it all on her own and actually doing it more neatly than I usually manage! Eb x

Thanks Eb. Miss GF is 10. She does seem to have suddenly come into her own in the kitchen and it's getting to the point where if we leave the room, she rustles something up. I came in to find jelly had appeared today! Sounds like you have a natural too. They are so fearless….. it's wonderful! x

Wow! It's hard to believe these pancakes are GF, they look so light & delicious, I will definitely give them a try 🙂 I would love it if you added the recipe to my Sunday Fitness & Food Link-up at: http://www.marathonsandmotivation.com

Thanks Charlotte. The bananas were lush and really quick to throw together….. so absolutely worth the extra effort.I mixed the flours predominantly because I wanted to have a healthy and nutritious mix (which you rarely get from commercial blends, that are mostly rice-flour based). Although I haven't tested the recipe with supermarket flour, I would not see a significant reason why they wouldn't work…… although for texture, I would still add the oat flour in the mix.

Primary Sidebar

Connect & Follow

About Me

Welcome to Gluten Free Alchemist. I’m Kate – gluten free recipe developer, traveller, photographer, blogger and mum to a Coeliac teenager… living Coeliac life without limits. Join our family journey as I share recipe and travel adventures and as we support each other in overcoming life’s Coeliac hurdles. Read More…

THIS WEBSITE USES COOKIES

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT

Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.